Posts Tagged ‘grand national’
Aintree Racecourse is one of the most famous racecourses in the United Kingdom and is situated on the A59 at Ormskirk Road, Aintree (Anglo-Saxon for one tree), in the northern periphery of Liverpool, just 6 miles from the town centre. The racecourse occupies 250 acres and has two left-handed chasing tracks. The first, the Mildmay Course is rectangular and created in 1953. It is nearly one and a half miles in length, with sharp turns and chase jumps. The John Smiths Grand National race isn”t as sharp as the Mildmay course but is much more severe which is why it is known as one of the hardest races in the world – one which all horse trainers would wish to secure entry to. The
John Smiths Grand National course is far longer than the Mildmay at more or less two and a quarter miles, and is completely flat, with jumps that have a decline on the landing side lesser than the take-off side.
William Lynn is the guy accountable for bringing racing to the town of Aintree. Lynn was the landholder of the Waterloo Lodge, and created racing on the land which he leased from the Earl of Sefton. The main stand started being built in 1829 and after five months the first appointment for Flat races was held. They didn”t start hurdle steeple chase racing until 1836, when the original Liverpool Grand Steeplechase was held at Aintree on February 29th. This race was recognised by some as being the first ever John Smiths Grand National and was won by The Duke, ridden by Captain Martin Becher. However, the more renowned Liverpool Grand Steeplechase of 1839 is celebrated as the original, and was won by Lottery, ridden by Jem Mason. The steeplechase of 1839 was a four miler, across country, and the directive was that ”no rider to open a gate or ride through a opening, or more than 100 yards along any street, track or driftway”.
The racecourse was handed over to the War Office in 1915, and after the 1940 National it was again taken over by the war office. Steeple chase racing resumed in 1946 and in 1949 the racecourse was bought by Messrs Topham Ltd; who had leased the property for almost a century; from the Earl of Sefton for 275,000. Mirabel Topham, an innovative soul, went on to create the Mildmay course and a racing car circuit which held the European Grand Prix and five English Grand Prix.
Bill Davies bought the racecourse in 1973 for 3 million and in 1975 Ladbrokes saved the John Smiths Grand National, which was in jeopardy of disappearing, by running and administering it for 7 years at a yearly rent of 250,000. In 1983 the racecourse was deemed secure when the Jockey Club bought it.
Aintree is now more fit for purpose with transport links greatly improved. In the start it could only be reached by rail, but now it is reached by car, coach or air. There is a 6 acre field for landing by copter or the John Lennon airfield 20 minutes drive away, meaning that those both home and abroad can share in the celebrations.